If people really want Sony to do anything, pending whether Kojima is still motivated, they should send their tweets to @PlayStation and @yosp (Shuhei Yoshida's Twitter).

Still, it is bittersweet to hear that Junji Ito was involved in Silent Hills. It really is as though delToro seems to want to keep Silent Hills in the public eye for some kind of reason. I mean the SHS project was cancelled. Why continue to add salt in the wound by bringing up crumbs of what would never be? Are the hypothetical remaining parties of SHS really willing to give it another try with another publisher? It would really be awesome if Kojima could create a new horror game with Sony Japan Studios.

Keiichiro Toyama works there and he already once expressed in 2013 that he wanted to work on a horror game again. Gravity Rush is being worked on, so I could imagine Toyama working with Kojima after GR is finished.

(I doubt Kojima and Toyama know each other, though).

DelToro said he would no longer direct another videogame, though I'd imagine he could still help. Add Junji Ito or Masahiro Ito and a great music and sound composer (I'm looking at Yamaoka, the unnamed composer of PT, and the unknown composer of Forgotten Memories) and some former KojiPro staff to the mix and it would be an incredibly good scenario and I wouldn't give a shit that it couldn't be called Silent Hills.

Imagine a new horror game series, unfettered by the Silent Hill or Siren series, though borrowing some elements from both. The possibilities for setting, plot and perspective could be endless. They could also use sight jacking as a gameplay element as well.

What was the reason for Del Toro to bring up more about a dead project that many Silent Hill fans were crushed over losing? I mean, does he hate Silent Hill fans or something? I'm starting to think that it is less about him intimating that he wants to make a Silent Hills spiritual successor and more about him being bitter with the fans and wants to rub it in their noses with what could have been.

Honestly, I really hope Keiichiro Toyama works on a brand new survival horror series with Sony after Gravity Rush 2, because that will probably be the closest we will *ever* again get to seeing a quality Silent Hill-esque title. If anyone can do it the father and creator of Silent Hill could as he already expressed interest in making another horror game.

What was the reason for Del Toro to bring up more about a dead project that many Silent Hill fans were crushed over losing? I mean, does he hate Silent Hill fans or something? I'm starting to think that it is less about him intimating that he wants to make a Silent Hills spiritual successor and more about him being bitter with the fans and wants to rub it in their noses with what could have been.

Even if this is true, can you blame him? Konami kind of deserves the hatred and the fans deserve to know what they would've gotten.

I didn't mention Konami, so that's not the point. What I'm saying is that DelToro is bitter towards Silent Hill fans as he keeps opening the wound. Is there any other reason to open up that wound again and rub our noses in it? To the devs: Please stop opening the fucking wound; either that or actually make a goddamned spiritual successor.

I didn't mention Konami, so that's not the point. What I'm saying is that DelToro is bitter towards Silent Hill fans as he keeps opening the wound. Is there any other reason to open up that wound again and rub our noses in it? To the devs: Please stop opening the fucking wound; either that or actually make a goddamned spiritual successor.

You're being significantly over-dramatic. The guy is bummed his cool project isn't going to happen and since it's not happening he's sharing with fans the cool stuff they had planned for it. If he's bitter at anyone it certainly wouldn't be the fans.

I didn't mention Konami, so that's not the point. What I'm saying is that DelToro is bitter towards Silent Hill fans as he keeps opening the wound. Is there any other reason to open up that wound again and rub our noses in it? To the devs: Please stop opening the fucking wound; either that or actually make a goddamned spiritual successor.

Errr... I don't know how you reached that conclusion, but there are plenty of other great reasons.

- Now that the project is cancelled, Del Toro wanted to acknowledge that Junji Ito worked on it. Holding back Junji Ito's reveal at the time was likely Kojima's idea of saving his reveal for an exciting future announcement. Heck, we might've even gotten a P.T. 2 or they could've updated P.T. the same way Valve secretly updated Portal with a new ending/trailer to announce Portal 2. Imagine how awesome that could've been!

- There may be something going on in the background and Del Toro wants to keep interest going because he wants something to happen.

Sticking the knife into fans is likely the last thing Del Toro wants to do. It would make no sense.

Yes the news kind of sucks, but if anything it could also excite the possibilities of what could be and another publisher might take interest.

I guess I kind of over reacted. Anyway, to add some fun to all of the speculation, Kojima has a pic on Twitter, and he was in that pic alongside Mark Cerny, the designer of the PS4. It might mean nothing, but doesn't Mark Cerny collaborate with Sony Japan Studios?

I'm starting to think that once Kojima has finally severed all ties with Konami, there'll be an announcement from him regarding a new horror game he's planning on making along with Del Toro/Ito. The only reason no one can say anything now, is because he's currently still with Konami until December, unless I'm incorrect?

I feel the same way. The very earliest we could see anything regarding Kojima is possibly PSX in December, that is, if Kojima is completely done with Konami and if Kojima should decide to go with Sony. It would be an interesting match up, seeing that the creator of Silent Hill works for Sony Japan Studio.

He’s very quiet. He’s very timid. We had a few really crazy karaokes together. I’m like a bull in a China shop in Japan. I’m the wild cousin. We did karaoke together. We had a few working sessions where we were talking about using the console, the next-generation console in a way that would surprise people. Let’s really freak out people. Let’s really cause a panic with Silent Hill. Let’s go for it. Let’s go for full-blown social madness.

“We were planning this stuff. Ito was mainly being nice, making notes. He didn’t sing either. He was a very serious man.”

I like to imagine Junji Ito quietly sketching nightmares for Silent Hills in the corner of a karaoke bar, while del Toro sings the theme tune and Kojima lines up the next song. But then it's so easy to romanticise a game that will never come out. Silent Hills can exist as a masterpiece in our imagination because it never has to be made.

I’ve now spoken to del Toro a couple of times about the project, and on both occasions it's clear how excited he was to be working in a genre he loves but in a new medium with his friend Kojima. Each time he swears to me their desire was to create a state of widespread social panic, using every aspect of the PS4 – not just its sheer processing power – to assault the player's sense of security.

Sounds like Kojima and co wanted to do some cool 4th wall breaking stuff like in MGS that would've used some PS4 specific functions, maybe it would've been exclusive?

The social madness aspect is also interesting! Maybe the plural of Silent Hills is a hint, taking into account PT as well which may have also been testing this aspect.

Also

So Kojima and him just get together to sing anime songs while Ito watches...

I actually know nothing about Junji Ito. Is there anything in particular that made him a good fit for this series? I've ordered the one volume edition of Uzumaki, btw, but it was pretty much a blind buy.

Uzumaki's a pretty good start. Junji Ito designs really good and symbolic monsters, and when he's writing longer than a one-shot, he can get pretty psychological. His work is extremely Forbidden Siren-esque.

Uzumaki's a pretty good start. Junji Ito designs really good and symbolic monsters, and when he's writing longer than a one-shot, he can get pretty psychological. His work is extremely Forbidden Siren-esque.

I actually know nothing about Junji Ito. Is there anything in particular that made him a good fit for this series? I've ordered the one volume edition of Uzumaki, btw, but it was pretty much a blind buy.

Ito has a strong sense of atmosphere and building dread in his work. The thing he is most accomplished at is showing you the "scary" aspects of the story and managing to make them more frightening over time. That is something most story tellers struggle with, but I find he is able to twist his concepts into unexpected directions or build the stakes in a way that makes his horror elements more successful over time.

Additionally, he has a good knack for coming up with disturbing and memorable imagery and scenarios that could be a nice compliment to the silent hill universe thematically or in presentation.